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About This Episode

Rejoin our mission to Make America Smart Again with the conclusion of our StarTalk Live! show recorded at the Count Basie Theatre, in Red Bank, New Jersey on 4/17/17. Neil deGrasse Tyson was joined by comic co-host Eugene Mirman, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, John Holdren, former Science Advisor to President Obama, Jo Handelsman, former Associate Director for Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology, and comedians Ophira Eisenberg of NPR’s Ask Me Another, and Baratunde Thurston of The Daily Show. In Part Two, you’ll dive into the unseen world of the human microbiome (a collection of microorganisms in the human body) and its ability to control behavior and combat disease. Explore gene-editing tools like CRISPR, how we might genetically modify people to live on Mars, and the ethical grey areas that come with human gene modification. Find out why the government ends up conducting most basic research, while private companies tend to shy away from this critical activity. John also explains why not knowing the outcome is a major part in the process of discovery. You’ll learn about DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and ARPA-E, the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy, which focuses on investments in alternative energy. Discover the possibility that a naturally occurring electromagnetic pulse could knock out the electrical grid of the United States. Investigate the dangers of Superfund sites and how data is reshaping the way we approach solving problems. You’ll also learn about connecting human biology to the internet, government investments in artificial intelligence, and why John thinks the dangers of AI are being overstated. All that, plus, each member of our panel gives parting thoughts on what it takes to Make America Smart Again. #LMASA

In This Episode

Host

Co-Host

Guest

Guest

John HoldrenFormer Science Advisor to President Obama, Former Head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Professor of Environmental Policy and Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at Harvard University

Guest

Jo HandelsmanFormer Associate Director for Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Director of the Wisconsin Institute of Discovery